Abby Mann

Writing

Abby Mann

Born December 1, 1927 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died March 25, 2008 · aged 80

Abby Mann (1927–2008) was an American screenwriter and producer, best known for his socially conscious dramas and sharp character portrayals. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), which explored the moral responsibilities of judges during the Nazi regime. Mann later created the iconic television detective Kojak (1973), blending gritty realism with so…

Known For

Judgment at NurembergJudgment at Nuremberg · 1961
Judgment at Nuremberg
★ 8.01961
MovieDramaHistory
In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity. Chief Justice Haywood hears evidence and testimony not only from lead defendant Ernst Janning and his defense attorney Hans Rolfe, but also from the widow of a Nazi general, an idealistic U.S. Army captain and reluctant witness Irene Wallner.
Ship of FoolsShip of Fools · 1965
Ship of Fools
★ 6.61965
MovieDramaRomance
A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.
A Child Is WaitingA Child Is Waiting · 1963
A Child Is Waiting
★ 6.81963
MovieDrama
Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of a state institution for intellectually disabled children. Jean Hansen, a former music teacher anxious to give her life some meaning, joins the staff of the hospital. Jean, who tries to shelter the children with her love, suspiciously regards Dr. Clark's stern training methods. She becomes emotionally involved with 12-year-old Reuben Widdicombe, who has been abandoned by his divorced parents.
The DetectiveThe Detective · 1968
The Detective
★ 5.91968
MovieCrimeMystery
New York City Police detective Joe Leland investigates the grisly murder of Teddy Leikman, the gay son of a politically influential department store owner. While investigating, he discovers links to official corruption in NYC in this drama that delves into a world of sex and drugs, homophobia, homosexuality and bisexuality.
Indictment: The McMartin TrialIndictment: The McMartin Trial · 1995
Indictment: The McMartin Trial
★ 6.91995
MovieTV MovieDrama
The McMartin family's lives are turned upside down when they are accused of serious child molestation. The family run a school for infants. An unqualified child cruelty "expert" videotapes the children describing outrageous stories of abuse. One of the most expensive and long running trials in US legal history, exposes the lack of evidence and unprofessional attitudes of the finger pointers which kept one of the accused in jail for over 5 years without bail.
The Condemned of AltonaThe Condemned of Altona · 1962
The Condemned of Altona
★ 7.11962
MovieDrama
A dying German magnate invites his youngest son and daughter-in-law home to discuss the future of the family's shipbuilding empire. There, the daughter-in-law stumbles upon a secret of the family's Nazi past.
Report to the CommissionerReport to the Commissioner · 1975
Report to the Commissioner
★ 6.61975
MovieCrimeDrama
Police officer Patty Butler, alias "Chicklet," is the live-in girlfriend of Thomas 'Stick' Henderson to gather evidence. Detective Bo Lockley is instructed to try to find her, not knowing she's also a cop.
Lawman Without a GunLawman Without a Gun · 1979
Lawman Without a Gun
★ 9.01979
MovieDramaTV Movie
During the 1960s' civil rights movement, a black civil rights worker returns to his small Southern town and runs for sheriff against the incumbent, a popular segregationist.

Filmography

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Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley StoryWhitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story · 2002
Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story
★ 8.02002
MovieDrama
Based on the true story of Clarence Brandley, a black man wrongly accused in 1980 of the murder of a 16-year-old white high school girl named Cheryl Ferguson. Brandley worked at Conroe High School, where Ferguson was visiting as a member of the Belleville High School volleyball team. Three days after her body was discovered, Brandley was arrested as the murderer. Jew Don Boney, a popular activist and Houston city council member, leads the fight to uncover the truth about the Ferguson murder. Mike DeGeurin, a Texas attorney, is brought in to act as the head defense attorney for Brandley, and is joined by a former minister, Jim McCloskey. The lawyers discover that not only is there a complete lack of evidence against Brandley, but the District Attorney, James Keeshan, has been strategizing with the presiding judge. After nine years in prison, three trials and a stay of execution that saved Brandley's life, justice finally prevails as Brandley is granted his freedom.

Writer

Playhouse 90Playhouse 90 · 1956
Playhouse 90
★ 7.51956
SeriesDrama
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.

Writer